Priority: Marital Bliss
by Sereneffect
Summary: Sequel to Priority: Holiday Cheer. Shepard and Garrus are engaged, but their plans for their future are thrown in flux by the one thing all couples fear: in-laws. Rated for language and suggestive language/scenes. Post-Reaper AU(ish?)
1. Chapter 1

**So yeah, this is the sequel to my other story, "Priority: Holiday Cheer" about Shepard and Garrus's relationship after the Reaper War. Expect a lot of fluff and feelings, and some drama.**

**Big props to Greenyoda987 for sticking with me. With my break-up and the apocalyptic winter, I'm super grateful for her continued support.**

* * *

"What do you mean you haven't started planning yet?!"

The exclamation was shrill and echoed across the open field, causing the children to stop what they were doing and look toward the source. Shepard grimaced and rolled her eyes, reclining back so she was lying on the blanket they'd spread over the grass.

"I mean, it isn't something we're worried about right now," she replied calmly, lacing her fingers together under her head, "And besides, it's just our wedding, Liara. Nothing to get so hung up about."

"Nothing to… Shepard, you're getting _married_. Don't you think that deserves some sort of ceremony?" the asari pressed, confusion written on her face. The quarian beside her had a hand pressed to her helmet like she expected a headache and Shepard scoffed.

"Of course I do, but it's really not that big of a deal. We just want something small, just our friends, his family. Nothing crazy."

Tali shook her head. "Shepard, I don't think you're getting what we're trying to tell you."

Shepard's brow furrowed and she lifted her head. "Alright, what _are_ you trying to tell me?"

Liara huffed out a sigh and leaned back on her hands, fixing the human with a pointed look. "Do you remember who you are? You're _Shepard_, savior of the galaxy, marrying her true love in the face of everything you've ever had to face. Your wedding is going to be a big deal whether you like it or not! And it's been 6 months, you should have at least been planning _something_." When Shepard snorted she scowled. "Do you even have a date picked?"

"Sure, sometime in July. It will be warm and the summer storms will have passed by then," Shepard replied, closing her eyes to bask in the warm sunlight. The best part of their home, she had to admit, was the yard; it was a huge plot of land, settled on gently rolling hills of grass and trees, uninterrupted by development. The children had gone back to their game and she could hear them laughing; it made her happy to think their son was making friends with the neighboring children so easily.

"That's in one month!" Tali squeaked, sounding alarmed, but Shepard only shrugged.

"I guess so. Why?"

Liara groaned, smacking a hand to her forehead. "We're doomed. There's no way we can plan this so soon! Have you gotten a dress? A venue? A caterer?!"

"Did you send invitations?"

Shepard finally sat up, levelling a dark look at her friends. Everyone seemed so quick to forget that she had coordinated a joint-species attack to reclaim not only her own home planet but the only hope for the galaxy at large in a very short amount of time. A wedding ceremony could _not_ be that difficult. "No. I've been enjoying my time with my family now that the threat of galactic destruction has been dealt with. Why?" It wasn't that she didn't _want_ to get married—quite the opposite, actually—but it seemed like a lot of pomp and circumstance for something she already knew in her heart. And she hated pomp and circumstance.

"Well, to start with, getting his family here from Palaven will take a while, since the Relays are still damaged. They'll need to leave soon," Tali started, wringing her hands, "And you'll need to reserve enough space for everyone."

"Everyone? I was under the impression that we were going to have a small ceremony," Shepard cut in, raising a brow. "You know, intimate? _Private_?"

Liara shook her head with a smile. "Please, Shepard. You're a hero. Your life is big news. Everyone will be wanting the scoop on your marriage." Shepard grumbled something about exactly where the media could shove it and Liara chuckled. "Just be glad your son has stayed out of the spotlight for so long."

Shepard's eyes flashed and she grit her teeth together. "And that's _exactly_ how it's going to stay. Those vultures are _not_ coming near my family, or so help me, I'll—"

"Momma, can we go play down by the stream?"

Her expression immediately brightened and she shielded her eyes from the light to see her son from her place at the top of the hill. The girl from two doors down whispered something and the turian boy grinned, nodding quickly before he looked expectantly up at her. He had filled out some, and with it had come a rambunctious playfulness that could never seem to be exhausted.

"Sure, sweetie, but stay where I can see you. And don't get muddy, your father will be home for dinner soon," she called. He waved his acknowledgement before bolting toward the narrow trickle of water that ran between the hills.

"Come on, Shepard," Tali insisted, "It will be fun to plan your wedding. Don't you want it to be a magical day you'll remember forever?"

"I _will_ remember, and it _will_ be magical. I don't need an elaborate ceremony for that," Shepard retorted dryly.

"But don't you think Garrus might want a ceremony?" Liara asked, sly smile spreading across her face. Shepard stiffened and the smile widened, noting the effectiveness of her new tactic. "He _was_ always a little more traditional."

Shepard couldn't argue that. Hell, he'd even gone through the trouble of proposing to her in an adorably human way. Maybe she _did_ need to plan her wedding… "Ok, fine. You win," she grumbled, rubbing her brow, "But I get to overrule anything I think is too much, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," the two women chirped, immediately pulling up their omnitools.

"We need someone to officiate the wedding. I believe the Alliance has a chaplain in the area, if you'd prefer a nondenominational wedding."

"And there are a few catering companies nearby that specialized in mixed-species cuisine. I'll send a message to each of them to get an estimate."

"There's a bridal parlor in town. We can see if they can manage something on short notice."

"The park down the street has a beautiful garden they rent for events. We can ask about reserving it for—"

"Stop, stop, stop," Shepard cut them off, waving her arms. "Slow down. One thing at a time. I want it here, at our home. The yard is big enough, and the view is perfect. Forget the park. Call whoever you need to for food or whatever, but I am not—I repeat, am _not_—wearing a dress."

Both gaped openly at her, making her cross her arms in irritation before Liara spoke up. "But Shepard, it's your _wedding_."

"Exactly. As you've been quick to point out it's _my_ wedding. Mine. And if I don't want to wear a dress, I'm not going to." She felt like a child having a tantrum, but she wasn't about to budge on this issue. She hated dresses. They were impractical and uncomfortable. No one could run or fight in a dress without serious threat of falling over or tripping over something. And they were constrictive. Nope, pants were the only logical clothing choice. Or none at all… No, no, best not to scandalize his family.

"Has Garrus ever seen you in a dress?" Tali tried.

Shepard grimaced. "Once. On the Citadel."

"At the Silversun strip, in the casino," Liara finished for her. "And I hardly think that counts, Shepard. You _were_ in the middle of espionage. Besides, don't you want to surprise him? Make him remember it?"

Damn her for knowing exactly what to say! Shepard shot her a glare but sighed. "You're not going to let me win this, are you?" At their matching smiles she groaned. "Fine. You win. I'll find a damn dress…"

"Excellent!" Liara said gleefully, clapping her hands together. Her joy only made Shepard's frown deepen. "We'll go tomorrow! Now, the guest list!"

* * *

"Honey? I'm home…" Garrus dropped the stacks of datapads onto the counter and gratefully fell onto the sofa with a contented sigh. He didn't know how he had ended up coordinating the construction of a turian embassy on Earth, but he had, and now he was up to his eyeballs in paper work. Most of it was just time consuming, but one letter that had passed into his hands made him cringe more than the others. He didn't want to deal with that one. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back, savoring the quiet coolness of the house.

"Dad, Dad, Dad, guess what?!"

Something jumped energetically into his lap, forcing the air from his lungs; as he was struggling to reclaim it, he opened his eyes and came face to face with his son's excited expression. He'd gained a proper amount of weight for a turian his size, but now it meant he was _heavy_.

"What is it?"

"No, you have to guess!" Kaius insisted, practically bouncing. His mandibles fluttered, betraying his happiness and Garrus was struck by just how much the boy _did_ look like him. Shepard had said it, and people always pointed it out, but now—painted with the Vakarian colony markings—Garrus couldn't even pretend to deny it. He sighed theatrically, making his son roll his eyes.

"Oh, fine. Hm… Did your mother burn dinner again?"

Kaius giggled, but shook his head. "Nope. Aunt Liara and Aunt Tali are taking her shopping tomorrow."

Garrus raised a brow. Unless it involved supplies, weapons, or their son, Shepard hated shopping. "Oh? Shopping where?"

The young turian just shrugged. "Dunno. Momma doesn't seem too happy about it. She said—"

"For the last time, I am _not_ turning my wedding into a political event! Who we invite is my decision and I—" Shepard stopped just inside the doorway leading out to the yard and blinked, snapping her mouth shut. "Oh, I didn't know you were home already." Her cheeks flushed and Garrus chuckled.

"Wedding planning?" he inquired with a grin. She had assured him that the planning would be the easy part, that it wouldn't take long and everything would go smoothly. Of course, she had _said_ that, but the irate look in her eye and the excitement he could see on Tali and Liara's faces over her shoulders said otherwise.

Shepard scowled. "You could say that. I call it torture. Apparently, I've waited too long." She strode across the space and leaned over Kaius's head to press a kiss to his mouthplates. "How was your day?"

"Busy," he replied automatically. Best not to discuss it in detail; she didn't need to know just yet. "Why do you say you waited too long?"

"Because getting everything we need will take a miracle," Liara interrupted, breezing through the living room with Tali close behind. "I'll pick you up at 0900, Shepard." They were gone like that and Shepard sighed, making Garrus give her a sympathetic smile.

"Well, this will be fun," Shepard muttered, shaking her head. "While I'm thinking about it, how long will it take for your family to get here from Palaven? I know you'll want them at the wedding."

Garrus froze. He knew he had forgotten _something_; of course that was it, of course he had forgotten _that_ in the mess of paperwork he'd been bogged down with. She was going to kill him. "I, uh… Well, I might have forgotten to mention that…" She tilted her head to one side and he glanced down at Kaius; the boy was watching him intently and he took a long breath. "I asked them to come earlier so they could have the chance to meet you."

Shepard blinked, brows knitting together. "So when will they arrive?" She wasn't sure why he looked so nervous; she was actually really curious about his family and meeting them. What would they think of her? Of their home, their son? Would they approve? She wanted to know.

Garrus's mandibles pulled close to his face and Kaius's eyes narrowed slightly, betraying the subharmonic cue Shepard couldn't hear. "Tomorrow," he finally muttered.

She stared. "Tomorrow? _Tomorrow?!_" Her face had paled and she took a step back. "Your whole family is going to be here _tomorrow_?!" At his wince, she realized she was shouting and held up her hands. "I don't… I don't even know what to say…" she finally said quietly.

A pained expression crossed Garrus's face and Kaius made a low, sad sound in his chest. "Are you mad?"

"No… No, I'm not," Shepard sighed, leaning back against the mantle of their fireplace, "Just worried. I thought I'd have more time to prepare, you know?" After a second, she jumped up. "Oh, sh—" She stopped, looking down at their son. "Darn it," she corrected herself quickly, "I have to clean… I have to… What does your family like to eat?"

Garrus stood, setting Kaius on the sofa and going to pull her into a hug in one motion. "Stop, stop, stop. Just relax. Don't worry about it. I'm sure they'll love you, so don't stress about it so much. I'll pick them up tomorrow afternoon, you just focus on the wedding."

She sighed, wrapping her arms around him. "I wish I had started this sooner…"

Garrus chuckled, bumping his forehead against hers. "I know. But you'll make it work. You always do."

Shepard smirked and pulled out of his embrace. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, dinner should be—" The ovens in the kitchen began to beep and she chuckled. "Done."

* * *

"Are you sure about this? I mean, we can always postpone. My family will survive staying here a bit longer, if you need time."

Shepard smiled, snuggling further back into her love's arms, savoring the heat that always radiated off of him. But she didn't answer, humming in abstract acknowledgement as she thought. She wouldn't mind the extra time, if they did postpone… Yet for some reason, that felt too much like giving up. She _never_ gave up. "No, I want to keep our planned date. I just have to work a little harder."

"And I'll help," he purred, nuzzling the back of her neck. She smiled, covering his arm around her middle with her own, and tangled her legs with his. They both savored these moments of peace, alone in the privacy of their bed. But at the same time, neither would ever give up the life they had now, as parents. In only six months, they had experienced so much they would never trade for anything, and the smile on their son's face made everything worth it.

"What's your family like?" she finally asked quietly, tracing patterns along the back of his hand with her fingertips. Garrus chuckled, and she could feel the rumble through the fabric of her thin shirt.

"That's a big question."

Shepard rolled her eyes and huffed an indignant sigh. "Alright, what about your sister?"

"Solana? She's… a lot like Tali, actually. Bubbly, energetic… A bit more outspoken, kind of rebellious, but not in a confrontational way."

"So it runs in the family," Shepard replied cheekily. He nipped her shoulder in reprisal and she squeaked.

"No, I blatantly defied my father. She's much more subtle. You'll like her, I think, and she'll like you."

"And your parents?" It was mostly his father that she was worried about, but she would never say so out loud. Deep down, she had a feeling Garrus was concerned about the same thing, but similarly would never say anything.

"My mother has been sick for a long time…" The sound that came from him made her turn and pull him close.

"Korpalis."

"Yeah… It's… hard. And not always pretty. She should have stayed in the hospital, but nothing was going to keep her from coming. I'm a little worried about her health, having to come all this way, away from her doctors…" His mandibles pulled tight to his face and she pressed a kiss to his brow.

"We'll make sure she's taken care of. I'm sure Doctor Chakwas wouldn't mind keeping an eye on her while they're here," Shepard said quietly, cuddling back up to his chest. "I promise, nothing will happen to her."

He hummed his agreement and pressed his cheek against her hair. "I know. I just worry… She balances my father, most of the time. She's the only one who can make him see when he's wrong."

"She's really important to you."

"Yeah, she is…"

"And what about your father?" Shepard finally asked, her cheek against his carapace, "I know you were angry about your Spectre candidacy."

Garrus chuckled. "Yeah. I was pretty angry with him for a while, stewed over it for years at C-Sec… I still don't agree with him about a lot of things, but I don't begrudge him his right to believe it." She felt him smile against her hair. "I still think he's wrong, but now I can tell him so without worrying about what he'll say."

"Hm." Shepard was quiet for a moment. "Will he be mad?"

"About what?"

"Should I start with the part where we adopted a child without telling anyone, or the part where I'm human and squishy? Or maybe where I ensnared you in my various campaigns across the galaxy that took you away from your turian duty?" She scoffed lightly. "I think you've been around me too long if you don't see how he might be upset."

"Well… I'm sure he'll have something to say about it, but that doesn't mean I'm going to listen to him. I know what I want." He pulled back to look at her face and smiled. "And what I want is to spend the rest of my life with you, regardless of whether he approves or not. He'll just have to deal with it, human daughter-in-law, adopted son and all."

Shepard shook her head, but didn't pull away when he kissed her. "Mm, well, we'll just have to see what happens then."

* * *

**Let me know what you think! Depending on what people say, I'll write more and more often!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so happy with all the feedback for this story! Especially since it's become one of my favorites to work on lately.**

**My deepest gratitude to the best beta ever, Greenyoda987 for tolerating my idiosyncrasies.**

* * *

Shepard glowered at the asari as the alien woman grinned like a cat in cream. If there was one thing Shepard hated most in the galaxy, it was reporters, but dresses were a close second. And at that moment in time, she had been forced into a fluffy white confection of a dress by her two best "friends". Tali was making excited little squeaking noises as the salesgirl set about adjusting the train and skirts, but it didn't change the sour expression on Shepard's face. The woman staring back from the mirror was _not_ a badass soldier and capable, functioning adult, but a child playing dress up; the huge tulle skirt and ostentatious rhinestone work made the conservative in Shepard gag, and the amount of her scars it showed being strapless made her uncomfortable. It was a small mercy that the boutique was blissfully empty save for their small party.

"No."

"But you just put it on!" Tali protested.

"I don't care," Shepard growled, stalking back into the small changing room, "I am not wearing some giant dress out of a fairytale! I agreed to a dress, not a cake topper!" The salesgirl was thankfully brisk in getting the rejected gown off of her, but Shepard huffed out a sigh as another was thrust into her hands. "Do I have to?"

Liara cut the girl off by calling in from the other room, "Yes!"

"Don't you have something better to do?!" Shepard yelled out at her as the salesgirl helped her into the next dress, "Like flay someone with your mind? Or broker shadows, or something?!" At least this one had straps. She emerged again and stepped up onto the pedestal in front of the mirrors, holding out her arms so her companions could see. "Happy? I hate it. Can we please leave?"

The salesgirl looked ready to tear her hair out and Liara chuckled lightly. "Please, Shepard, you're making her uncomfortable." When she had accepted the appointment, it was clear the girl only saw the fame of working with _the_ Commander Shepard, and not the possible shit-show it was now turning out to be.

"_I'm_ uncomfortable, think of that?" she grumbled darkly, but the asari ignored her.

"You're going to have to dress the part for your wedding, Shepard, whether you like it or not. And no, that does not mean painting your armor white. Now, you can either make helpful suggestions as to what you would _prefer_ in a gown, or we can keep choosing for you." Liara smiled from her chair and crossed one knee over the other. "So, what don't you like about this one?"

"It's a dress."

"Shepard…"

Tali sighed. "I don't see why you hate them so much, you look so pretty…" She sounded so wistful that Shepard felt her frustration cool. It would be unfair to complain that she didn't want to dress differently in front of the quarian.

"They're just… silly. You can't fight in a dress, or run, or anything! I feel vulnerable and weak. And they show off all of these goddamn scars!" She crossed her arms in an effort to cover the lattice-work of scar tissue that covered her forearms, but the quarian shook her head fervently.

"You don't have to be fighting all the time, Shepard, that's the whole point of this! We won! You saved everybody! You don't have to be looking over your shoulder! You can wear a silly dress without worrying about needing to be combat ready!" The young alien woman paused and Shepard could see the smile in her eyes. "Don't you want your special day to be… well, special?"

The fight was gone and Shepard's shoulders slumped. "Of course I do, Tali, I just… I've always been in uniform, as long as I can remember. I don't dress up, I've _never_ dressed up."

"Well, there was that party in the casino…" Liara interrupted and Shepard rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't count, that was for a mission." She huffed out a breath and looked back up at the mirror. "Alright, you win, I'll wear a damn dress. But not this one. It's too…" She floundered for a second before settling on "frilly".

The salesgirl perked up. "Do you like the silhouette? Or maybe something slimmer? More beading? Lace?" If Shepard was accepting her fate to wear a dress, maybe the appointment could be saved…

"No, fuck no," Shepard said as she shook her head. "Less. A lot less, simple. As simple as you can get. And something that preferably hides this." She gestured the left side of her chest, where a rippling scar marred the skin from the bottom of her neck and disappeared under the dress. "I don't want to frighten my wedding guests." It was weird to talk about her wedding; the words felt awkward on her tongue. "Can you find me something like that?" The girl nodded quickly as Shepard retreated back into the changing room and began stripping out of yet-another dress. She scampered off, leaving Tali and Liara alone in the empty foyer.

"Well, at least we're making progress," Liara finally sighed, rubbing her temples as the quarian giggled.

"It only took five hours."

"I can still hear you!"

The two women laughed at Shepard's indignant yell, but said nothing more and remained in companionable silence until the salesgirl returned with new candidates in Shepard's dress hunt. Shepard immediately refused one with long lace sleeves—it looked matronly, she claimed, and the salesgirl happily banished it along with the other rejected gowns—but finally had to relent and don another. As her reinvigorated sales associate set about tying the broad ribbon sash around her waist, Shepard took the chance to examine her reflection in the mirror; it was still a dress, and she still felt like it was a waste, but it wasn't horrible, and that was better than everything else she had tried on. With a groan, she threw the door open and stormed out onto the floor and remounted the podium. With a huff, she fluffed the dress out and scowled at her reflection.

"I don't hate it."

Liara arched a perfectly painted brow and smirked. "I couldn't tell from your expression," she retorted evenly. When Shepard made a rude gesture with her hands, the asari laughed. "Don't be rude, Shepard. Now why do you like this one?"

"I didn't say like, I said don't hate," the human woman snapped, looking back to her reflection. Although, the more she looked at it, the more it was growing on her…

"I think it's wonderful, Shepard," Tali piped up cheerfully, "It really makes you look feminine."

Shepard had to give it that. It was one-shouldered, covering the left side of her chest and the scarring she hated so much, and fitted to her waist. The ribbon tied at her back, its tails falling down to the backs of her legs over the swirls of fabric. The dress itself flowed like water, almost weightless as she turned to examine her reflection. Even with her arms—and scars—bared, it wasn't horrible. She looked soft, almost… Absently, she ruffled the short bob of her hair. She had hoped it would grow back in quickly, but… She brushed the uneven fringe of her bangs to one side, then back again. She had been forced to buzz her hair off for surgery, and it had been slow to return. Now it curled up at the bottoms of her ears, barely brushing the back of her neck. How feminine could she look with no hair?

She opened her mouth to say something as the salesgirl scampered out with a veil in her hands. Before Shepard could speak, she quickly settled it onto the back of her head and stood back proudly. Her companions audibly reacted, but Shepard didn't look up to the mirror again, her eyes locked down on her hands knotted in front of her. It was silly, but suddenly, she was afraid. It was stupid, and pointless, but for some reason she couldn't look at the person in the mirror. That was a _bride_, that was a _woman_. She was a soldier. She was neither of those things. It felt wrong.

"Oh, Shepard…" Liara sighed. Tali tittered something similar and Shepard finally forced herself to lift her chin. It was silly, what a little piece of sewn tulle did, but somehow, it changed everything. There was a beautiful woman standing there, in a dress. A bride, ready to marry the man she loved. Not a scarred soldier without an ounce of softness in her. Her throat was tight and her eyes burned—she felt so silly—and she quickly tried to blink it away.

"I guess you win, Liara," she finally managed, wringing her hands.

"So…"

She forced a small smile. "This is it. I'll take it."

Her two friends cheered and the salesgirl looked relieved, clapping her hands together. It was over, it was done. Yet she didn't go to change right away. Instead, she stood in the dress, staring at her reflection. She hoped that this was still the person Garrus wanted to marry. Yet as she stood there, she couldn't help but worry. What were turian unions like? Did they even have something similar to a wedding?

"Ma'am?"

Shepard was jolted back to the present and looked down at the salesgirl hovering beside her. "Hm?"

"If you'd like, we can get started on the alterations. Your friends mentioned that your wedding is very soon?"

Shepard hummed the affirmative and turned to examine the dress again. "Does it need any?" It fit pretty well as far as she could tell…

The younger woman smirked and nipped in some of the fabric at her waist. After a pause, she adjusted the single shoulder strap and raised a knowing brow. Shepard had to admit, those two small changes _did_ make a difference.

"Point taken. So what do you need me to do?"

"Stand there." The salesgirl pulled a handful of pins from pocket of her jacket and set about fastening the fabric in place. Shepard blinked in momentary surprise as she worked and Liara tried to smother a laugh. Tali, however, failed in a similar endeavor.

"Glad to see you're entertained, Ms. Zorah," Shepard drawled, tilting her head to fix the quarian with a pointed look. Through her fits of giggles, Tali could say nothing and Shepard sighed. "Saviors of the galaxy my ass…"

"Some of us had to move on and have fun," Liara replied with a sparkle in her eye.

"Ouch, alright _Doctor_," Shepard quipped, shaking her head slightly.

"Stand still, please." A few more moments and the salesgirl stepped back with a triumphant smirk. "Alright, what do you think?"

Shepard looked up at her reflection again, and her mouth went dry. She had a _shape_. She looked _pretty_. This couldn't be real…

"I take it back, _now_ it's wonderful," Tali simpered, hands fluttering at her throat. Liara laid a sympathetic hand on her shoulder and Shepard couldn't help but smile.

"I agree," she finally managed, hastily wiping her eyes. She wasn't going to cry over a _dress_. She had to draw a line _somewhere_.

* * *

Picking his parents up from an Earth spaceport was definitely a new experience for Garrus. What he hadn't expected was to be energetically embraced by his mother before he had even seen her. The petite woman clung to him, her subharmonics running amok and he carefully hugged her back.

"You look like you're doing better, Mom," he said with a smile, holding her at arms' length.

She snorted and waved a hand. "Please. Those doctors keep saying I should take it easy, don't push myself, but what do they know? Nothing!" Garrus fixed her with a level stare and she huffed out a breath. "I'm fine, Garrus. My treatments have done wonders since I switched to those salarian doctors. Now, you can tell me everything you've been up to since you don't call! I finally hear from you, and it's a message saying you're bonding with a human?!"

"Mom, please," he whispered, glancing around as her voice rose. "I'll tell you later, I promise. And that's only if you take it easy, and let Dr. Chakwas check you over to be sure everything's ok."

"Oh, you worry too much. Just like your father!"

"Xerena, give the boy a break," a deeper voice cut in. Garrus looked up as his father rounded the corner, balancing a bag on his shoulder. "Although I _am _curious about what you've been up to. But you can tell me later." He set the bag down and held out a hand. Garrus took it without hesitation, but what he hadn't expected was for his father to pull him into an embrace. When they separated, his father clasped his hands behind his back automatically. "They should be bringing the rest of our baggage around."

"Of course, I left the car—"

"Garrus!"

He had about two seconds to react—just long enough to turn and brace himself—before a ball of squealing energy slammed into him. He laughed, hoisting his sister up and spinning her around. She giggled and stepped back when he set her down. Her eyes shone and she grinned at him.

"Would it kill you to send a message?" she sulked, punching his arm lightly.

He recoiled as if wounded and she rolled her eyes. "Nice to see you too, Solana. I see your leg's out of the cast."

Solana nodded. "Oh yeah. And even if it wasn't, I'm not about to miss my big brother finally settling down. Even if it is with a human."

"Of course not. Well, please. I'm sure you're tired from your trip. Our house isn't too far from here." He gestured back toward the street and hefted the bag his father had set down. The elder turian signaled a man pushing a hand cart laden with bags and crates and they started for the waiting car.

It was a tight fit, with all of their luggage, but they all fit in the car and soon they were on their way back toward the Shepard-Vakarian home. The first few moments passed in silence before his mother cleared her throat.

"So, out with it: who is this human you're so taken with, hm?" she asked, fixing him with an intense look from the passenger seat.

Garrus couldn't help the nervous twitch of his mandibles, and from the corner of his eye, he could see his mother's brow furrow. "She's… It's hard to describe Shepard. When you meet her, you'll understand. I—"

"Wait, _the_ Shepard? The _Commander_ Shepard?" His sister asked, leaned forward to gawk at him.

"Yeah, that's her…" He could hear his father's anxious rumble from behind him, but said nothing else. He had somewhat-intentionally neglected to mention who his intended was for this reason.

"Damn, Garrus. I had no idea… You really _have_ been busy, huh? Climbing the social ladder…"

Now his father spoke up. "What does _that_ mean?"

Solana smirked and sat back. "Shepard's a respected soldier, Dad. You know that. The Hierarchy—or what's left of it—owes her a lot, regardless of the fact that she's human. Besides…" A sly smirk spread across her face. "With the amount of time they spent together, it was only a matter of time."

"I hardly think that's—"

"Oh, Aerus, calm down. What does it matter her social status?" his mother cut in with a huff. "Do you love her, Garrus?"

He had to smile at that as he navigated their small town. "More than life itself."

"Then who cares who she is! If you love her, it wouldn't matter if she were hanar prophet." After a pause she chuckled. "Although I'm secretly glad she's not."

Garrus laughed and shook his head. It felt good to hear his mother laugh, and she _looked_ so much better than the last time he had seen her; her plates looked healthy and had their shine back, and the glazed look had finally left her eyes. She still looked frail, but she had some of her old spark back. And he owed a lot of that to Shepard; Shepard and salarian doctors, but the salarians wouldn't have helped if Shepard hadn't sent them a sample of Collector tissue.

His father said nothing, though, and a quick glance in their rearview told him that the man had resigned himself to staring out the window. Garrus sighed and looked back to the road, carefully navigating the corner to their quiet street. A few children scampered out of the street as the car approached and he heard his sister's curious trill.

"Awful lot of young families," she pointed out with a smirk.

She knew. Somehow, she knew. He would never understand how, but she somehow knew what he had been hiding from them. How did she know? He gave a noncommittal grunt in reply and pulled into the driveway.

"Well, this is it." He quickly got out to help unload the car as his sister took his mother's arm and led her toward the house. He watched them go for a second before crouching to help his father. "Dad… I know—"

"Don't worry about it son." Without another word, his father headed inside, arms burdened with luggage. Well then… Garrus sighed in resignation and followed. Eventually, they'd have to talk about those issues, but his father was going to have to cooperate with him.

* * *

"Quick, Gunny, to the shuttle!"

"Affirmative!"

Shepard ducked behind the couch with a laugh as her son came barreling around after her. She bundled him up in her arms and they fell in a giggling heap, wrestling on the floor when Shepard heard the door open. She looked up, her son thrown over one shoulder and felt her heart nearly stop. The two turian women standing in her doorway could be none other than Garrus's mother and sister; both bore the familiar blue markings and, while his mother had more of a cinnamon complexion, his sister had the same silver coloring as her brother.

Noticing her sudden stillness, Kaius tried to follow her stare. "What's wrong, Momma?"

Shepard carefully set him down and got to her feet, slowly brushing off her knees to give herself a minute to think. What was she supposed to say? Were there any unwritten rules she didn't know about? Yet when she looked back up again, she wasn't the one holding their attention, but her son. Kaius pressed himself against her leg and she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Xerena, where should—" The turian who came in next stopped dead behind the other two and Shepard felt her heart stumble. Garrus's father, he had to be. If they had been the same age, they could have been twins… He stared in confusion at the boy at her side and Shepard licked her lips, trying to think of something—anything—to say.

Garrus came in behind his father and Kaius lit up. "Daddy!" He bolted toward his father and Garrus caught him in a one-armed hug with a laugh.

"Hey, buddy. Where's…" He caught Shepard's nervous smile and tried to give her a reassuring one of his own. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Hi." She anxiously brushed her hair behind her ear and tried to force some confidence into her posture. A deep breath, a quick roll of her shoulders, and she fixed a gracious smile onto her face. "You must be Garrus's family."

* * *

**How do we feel so far? :D**


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